Young Lay was becoming popular when a 1995 attempt was made on Lay's life when he was shot in the head while stopped at a Vallejo traffic light as a passenger in a friend's car. [1] Although critically injured, Lay survived and went on to resume rapping after extensive therapy for brain damage in which he had to learn to speak again.

On May 17, 1996, Lay's infant son Le-Zhan Williams was kidnapped when 2 teenage girls entered the home of Daphne Boyden, the rapper's 17 year old girlfriend and mother to his newborn, killed her, abducted the infant, and set the home on fire in an attempt to cover up the crime. The case went unsolved for 6 years, and was featured on the television shows America's Most Wanted and Unsolved Mysteries.

In November 2002 an anonymous tip called in to Vallejo police led to the arrest of Latasha Brown, one of the killers, who had been raising the abducted infant as her own, along with her mother Delores Ann Brown, who was also arrested. They were still living in Vallejo, not far from where Daphne Boyden was murdered. Latasha Brown's cousin Ocianetta Williams was identified as the second teenage girl responsible for the murder and abduction and both were arrested by the Vallejo Police Department. The now 6-year-old Le-Zhan was reunited with family soon after their arrest. It is unknown what lasting emotional trauma has been caused to the child from being forcibly taken and withheld from his family while being raised for 6 years by his mother's killer.

"Young Lay" Williams was sentenced to a 12 year prison sentence for a 1999 armed robbery[2]. He was released from prison in 2010. He was interviewed on Dznuttsradio 5/19/10.